


New Traditions

by Fabrisse



Series: Rebuilding the Table [14]
Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Christmas, Early Relationship, Fluff, KWFF2015, M/M, May cause tooth decay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-03
Updated: 2015-12-03
Packaged: 2018-05-04 16:00:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5339978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fabrisse/pseuds/Fabrisse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Their first Christmas together means adapting a bit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Traditions

**Author's Note:**

> Another Kingsman Winter Fluff Fest entry.
> 
> I've added some new photos to my pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/fabrisse/fanfic-illustrations/

"You're frettin', Merlin."

"Am I?" He looked up from his computer in surprise. He noticed that he was doodling with his left hand and smiled up at Eggsy. "I suppose I am."

"Look, you don' have to worry 'bout a Christmas gift or nothin'. Figure since I'm last to the table, I'll need to work Christmas anyway. Or was the worry about work."

"No. It was definitely personal."

Eggsy nodded. "We haven't been together long. If you think it's too early to spend Christmas together or you have to visit family or your family visits you or…"

"Breathe, Eggsy." Merlin chuckled. "I've waited all my life to find you. I'm not going to be concerned about whether things are too soon or too fast. We don't live lives which allow us to take our time, not when we find something worth having."

"Then come sit on the sofa like a person and talk to me."

"Tell you what? I do have some work to finish, and I'm also getting peckish. You wrestle food together -- take out's fine -- and I'll get this done in half an hour. We can talk over a meal."

Eggsy assessed him for a moment, then he grinned and said, "You're on." He checked his watch, grabbed a shopping bag and his coat, and headed out the door.

When he returned, he made a salad and put out four half sandwiches from Rothe's and two bottles of Sweetheart Stout. Merlin joined him at the table and raised an eyebrow. 

"We have mature English Cheddar on brown bread with butter, Cumberland sausage on soft white bread with mustard, smoked salmon on granary bread with dill, and roast beef with horseradish on country white."

"You have definitely proved your worth as a mighty hunter."

Eggsy laughed. "If you don't start choosing, I'm grabbin' my favorites."

Merlin took the smoked salmon and Cumberland sausage. 

Eggsy grinned as he put the other two on his plate. "Can I have a bite of the sausage? Never tried it, but it looked interesting."

Merlin cut a piece of the sausage off and put it on Eggsy's plate.

After about half a sandwich apiece, Merlin sighed with pleasure and said, "I don't know what your Christmas traditions are. Do you exchange presents then or wait until New Year's for adults?"

"Who can wait? I mean, if that's what you usually do, then I suppose I can, but it ain't what's usual."

"No, my sister and I just got stockings when we were young with a satsuma in the toe. Once Mam had a better job, it was usually one big gift, some type of needed clothing and the satsuma in the stocking. My sister and I exchanged books or, occasionally, games or puzzles."

They ate in silence for a few moments. Merlin said, "And your traditions?"

"Well, this year I want to establish a tradition of spoiling Daisy something rotten. Dunno really. Watch Doctor Who and the Queen's Speech and, honestly, the speech is optional."

"No foods?"

"Turkey in the years we could afford it. Most years it's a nice roast chicken. We'd get a Christmas pudding and crackers of course, but not much else to go on. Not even a satsuma." Eggsy covered Merlin's hand with his own. "You still haven't told me why you're askin'."

"I had a call from Saint Columba's asking if I could read one of the passages during the Christmas Watch Night service."

Eggsy looked at him a bit skeptically.

"Catholics have midnight mass. Church of England has its vigil from eleven-thirty. Church of Scotland does Watch Night."

"I've seen Lessons and Carols on telly once or twice."

Merlin said, "We do that, too, but it's usually the final Sunday in Advent. I'm not asking you to come to church with me, but it's one of my traditions."

Eggsy leaned back in his chair for a moment. "How about tea? I got some of those thin orange biscuits as a dessert."

"That's fine, Eggsy." He watched Eggsy clear the table.

"Living room?"

Merlin said, "Certainly," and left to sit on the sofa.

After performing all the little offices of tea, Eggsy said, "Would you like me to go to services with you?"

"I… I just assumed you weren't a believer."

"I'm not, but we were talkin' about tradition and family, right? This is part of your tradition. And, I think -- it sounded like -- you're offering a chance to be family, yeah?"

Merlin said, "Yes. I thought if there was anything special you ate or did on Christmas, we could add it to dinner or whatever. I'm not certain I'm making sense at the moment. You surprised me."

"Harry once said I was full of 'em, surprises. So, Merlin, what do you do for Christmas?"

"Electric candles in all the windows, a small advent wreath with beeswax candles, no tree or crèche, but I do have some Dresden angels that I put on the mantle."

"Along with the Christmas stockings."

"Haven't done stockings in twenty years or more. If I exchange presents with friends, it's usually at New Year in the French fashion."

Eggsy kissed him. "Don't care when we exchange presents, Merlin, but I like bein' part of your family. What about the rest of my family?"

"Would Michelle be willing to come here for Christmas lunch? I promise I'll let you all watch Doctor Who."

"These candles in the window are white, right?"

"Yes."

"An' what's a Dresden angel when it's at home?"

"They're white china figurines."

Eggsy took another biscuit and dunked it in his tea before taking a bite. "Bet beeswax candles is white, too."

"More cream or pale gold, I think."

"So, here's what I propose. We got a little artificial tree at home. Usually just throw some colored lights an' tinsel on it and put a star on top. I know Daisy doesn't remember much about her Christmases past, but she loved seeing the pretty lights and colors."

Merlin smiled. "I would hate to disappoint the young lady. I can get a small natural tree when we buy the boughs for the advent wreath."

"Stockings for all of us over the fire place?"

"Can definitely be arranged."

Eggsy looked a little furtive. "Maybe a couple of little poinsettias there, too. Gotta be out of Daisy's reach, but your holiday decoratin' needs more color."

"A small bright red poinsettia at either end of the mantle is acceptable." Eggsy giggled.Merlin nibbled at his ear and whispered, "I've never cared much for turkey."

"What did you usually have?"

"A small roast when it was just me and Laire and Mam, I usually prepared a goose when it was my year to host friends."

"Goose sounds lovely. Crackers and Christmas pudding?"

"Of course," Merlin said.

"Then the last thing we need to decide on, will Mum and Daisy stay the night on Christmas Eve or come by on Christmas morning."

Merlin rested his forehead against Eggsy's. "If Michelle is willing, they are more than welcome to stay."

"That means you're agreein' to watch silly Christmas movies until Daisy goes to bed, you know."

"I didn't, but I think I can live with that."

Eggsy kissed him. "Then I'll ask Mum to join us for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. And Merlin, I would love to hear your Christmas reading and go to your Watch Night or whatever it's called."

"The family service is on Christmas morning, if you think your mother would be likely to join us with Daisy."

"Nah. Daisy's just barely three, not much attention span at that age. Maybe next year, though."

"Well, then I'll have to call back quickly if I want to get my favorite reading."

***  
Daisy clapped when she saw the Christmas tree. Merlin had been reluctant to have multicolored lights, but agreed to a string of soft blue ones and gold tinsel dripping from the boughs. He might need to get a new vacuum to cope with it.

Michelle left Daisy with them and went out with her friends, promising to be back by nine-thirty. 

Merlin had taught Daisy how to make simple shortbread biscuits while they watched _A Muppet Christmas Carol_ (Eggsy'd blinked hard and said to Merlin, "Don't that guy playin' Scrooge remind you of Arfur?" Merlin kissed his cheek. "We all agreed never to mention it to him.") Then they ate some of the shortbread after dinner while they watched _White Christmas_. ("C'mon, Merlin, it's a musical with snow, we gotta watch that one," Eggsy'd said.)

They took Daisy up to bed around nine and Merlin listened to Eggsy sing _Silent Night_ as a lullaby to his sister.

As soon as his Mum got back, Eggsy walked JB and changed into a suit to attend church with Merlin.

In the cab on the way to Saint Columba's, Merlin said, "The kirk doesn't approve of relationships like ours. I should have said so sooner, but…"

"But you wanted me there. I can behave like your colleague or friend tonight, but you'd better hold my hand in the cab afterward."

"I promise, _mo chridhe_."

Eggsy hadn't expected such a plain, stark church, nor had he expected a good portion of the male congregation to be in kilts (Merlin had explained to him quite early in their relationship that women wore kilted skirts, and Glaswegians were not Highlanders (nor were Highlanders immortal), so, no he didn't wear one himself. Eggsy'd pouted for a whole day after finding that out.) 

He followed along with the hymns and the readings, most of them anticipating the birth of Jesus, but at midnight, Merlin had gone to the lectern and read out "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." After which the congregation sang, _Joy to the World._

In the cab on the way back, Eggsy kissed Merlin gently and said, "The hair on the back of my neck stood up when you read your bit. I can see why people can believe in a god when the words are that powerful." He yawned.

Merlin said, "Don't worry, _mo chridhe_ , after we fill the stocking tonight we can sleep late in the morning."

Eggsy laughed and paid the cab driver. "You don't know what Christmas is like with a young one, do you? Daisy'll be up by six, maybe five-thirty. Promise you."

"Oh, dear."

"But I'll tell you what, we can go to bed early tomorrow night." He kissed Merlin passionately and said, "Happy Christmas, my love."


End file.
